Artist’s conception of the LADEE spacecraft orbiting the Moon. Its findings will help scientists to better understand thin exospheres, such as the one our own Moon has. Image Credit: NASA Ames/Dana Berry

The existence of neon gas in our Moon’s ultra-thin atmosphere has been confirmed for the first time, by NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and […]

One month after its launch, a series of “phasing loops” has gradually increased LADEE’s orbit until it was captured by lunar gravity. Today’s Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI)-1 burn is the first step to achieving a stable orbit around the Moon. Image Credit: NASA / Ames

NASA’s LADEE mission begins its journey to the Moon with a spectacular liftoff from Pad 0B at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Va., on 6 September 2013. The mission marked the maiden voyage of the five-stage Minotaur V rocket. Photo Credit: NASA-Wallops/Chris Perry